Toblerone is one of those chocolate bars which seems to have been around forever and by its packaging (and probably its taste) is totally recognisable, even with your eyes closed and your hands tied behind your back. Distinguishable by its characteristic triangular shape, it was first created in 1908 by Theodor Tobler in Switzerland, which makes it older than me….. and even my Mum!
Its unique flavour also stands out against other chocolate bars too. A blend of chocolate, honey and almond nougat, it has that wonderful rich, creamy, melty followed by crunchy, chewy, slightly nutty experience, that is unforgettable when you eat it. Nothing else quite compares.
The experience of buying Toblerone has (for me) become particularly ubiquitous with Duty Free shops, where you not only get the common varieties of milk and white chocolate, but also the slightly less common dark chocolate and positively rare fruit and nut and honeycomb crisp bars. I have even managed to find an especially delicious, blue boxed crunchy almond version made with salted caramelised almonds….. divine! Always….. always….. I make sure I get Toblerone at airports and other duty free outlets….. big bars………
If like me, you love Toblerone, then you will definitely, absolutely LOVE this brownie. It is packed full of the stuff…… dark, milk and white.
I made two different versions before I was totally happy with the recipe….. Or was that just an excuse to consume more Toblerone? Either way, this version is firm, but fudgy. Made with melted dark Toblerone and an extra portion of ground almonds, the slightly granular crunchiness of the nuts is beautifully enhanced and the creamy, honey sweetness synonymous with Toblerone still shines through. As you bite into the dense, chocolatey blocks of decadence, an extra treat awaits your tastebuds from the chunks of milk and white Toblerone hidden within. Simply delicious.
Amazingly, this Brownie may be rich, but it is not excessively sweet….. I used brown sugar for a more caramelly slice, but cut down the quantity slightly (and also deliberately used dark chocolate) to avoid any over-sugariness.
In honour of this most special and enduring of chocolate bars, I have even cut my portions into triangles…..
Although I love Toblerone and have filled this brownie with its melted delightfulness, I know that it is not always easy to get hold of some varieties (including dark). If you can’t find it where you are, hunt down an equivalent to use….. Look for ‘Swiss Mountain’ bars which contain nougat. In the UK, M&S has a dark bar which is easy to get hold of and makes a good substitute.
I am sending a few triangles out to the following foodie challenges to share this month :
We Should Cocoa with Recipe for Perfection (guest hosting for Choclette at the Chocolate Log Blog this month). February’s theme has been a very welcome Brownies (not that we need any excuse to indulge in the compact dark stuff).
Love Cake with Ness at Jibber Jabber who’s theme is ‘for the love of cake’ (and in my case, for the love of Toblerone too).
Cook, Blog Share with Lucy at Supergolden Bakes. Lucy has had a bit of a time of it recently…. I think this Brownie would be a perfect, indulgent ‘feel better’ treat!
Recipe of the Week with Emily at A Mummy Too.
Toblerone Brownie
Ingredients
Method
- Base line a 20 cm (8 inch) square baking tin with baking parchment. Preheat the oven to 180 C/350 F/Gas 4.
- Weigh and mix together the flour, cocoa, almonds, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
- In a glass, heat-proof bowl melt the butter with the dark Toblerone either in the microwave (medium heat, 30 second bursts, stirring frequently) or stirring over a small saucepan of simmering water. Set aside to cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, whisk the sugar, eggs and vanilla until well blended (but not thick).
- Add the dry ingredients to the egg mix and then add the chocolate mix. Beat with a spoon until well-combined and smooth.
- Fold in the chopped milk/white Toblerone.
- Pour the mixture into the baking tin and smooth the top.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the top is firming up and a knife inserted into the centre comes out reasonably clean (a few sticky crumbs are fine).
- Remove from the oven and cool completely in the tin. Refrigerate for about an hour before cutting into slices.
Gluten Free Alchemist © 2013-15 unless otherwise indicated
My dad used to bring back Toblerone bars whenever he travelled for business… Wow this brings back memories! The idea or a Toblerone brownie is almost too delicious to contemplate… head exploding #CookBlogShare
Thanks Lucy. I was pretty pleased with the inspiration that so often pops into the head in the middle of the night. Clever head! My husband is already demanding another batch!
You had me at Toblerone! 🙂 I agree with the association of Toblerone and Duty free! Everytime I go through a Duty free I always leave with quite a few toblerones (of all the flavour combinations available!) I never seem to buy it at the supermarket. I may have to next week to try these brownies. They look delicious!
Ha ha! Thank you! I rarely buy it at the supermarket either, but did make an exception on this occasion…. well somehow, they became an essential on the list for these!
So glad you sent a few triangles our way Kate, these are super incredibly delightful brownies. I think everyone loves Toblerone and now I know there is a salted almond one out there somewhere I will have to hunt it down. Love this idea and you've executed it brilliantly. Thank you for sharing them with We Should Cocoa.
Thanks Choclette. I found my bars of salted almond Toblerone in different duty free shops. Can't wait to find another one!
you're so right about the ubiquitous nature of duty free and toblerone… they do remind me of childhood holidays and there's something special about that. They're not an 'everyday' chocolate and must make your already special brownies doubly so!
I agree they are not an everyday chocolate. But they go damn well in brownies!!
I love toblerone!! Looks even better in a brownie and I love that you cut them into triangles! When I went to Switzerland I saw a 5kg bar and was tempted but it was ridiculously expensive and very impractical to carry back.
Me too! 5kg? That's a monster! Tempting though!!
I don't know how you didn't manage to scoff the Toblerone before it went into the brownie mix! I can just sense now all that lovely nougat in a rich brownie.
It was very difficult Ness. It is pretty irresistible!
Those brownies look a fab texture and I like how you used dark sugar. I never knew you could get so many varieties of toblerone. Love the sound of the dark choc almond one. Will have to keep a look out.
The texture is really good Katie. I hope you find a dark chocolate Toblerone…. they are quite different (much less sweet) than the milk and white varieties.
Great idea to make brownie with toblerone. When I grew up it did not exist in Italy in the early 80s. It arrived later and it was considered a delicacy. Indeed it is delicious!
Very nice recipe. Thank you 🙂
Thanks Alida!
wow that sounds delicious – I love toblerone but don't have it often – have never thought to buy it at an airport but then again I try to resist the temptations of duty free! I guess a version could be made with dark chocolate, honey and nougat instead of dark toblerone but it would probably take a bit of testing (no hardship there!)
Ha ha! Being a bit of a Toblerone addict, duty free is unmissable! It would certainly be worth trying an alternative recipe process though…… It would be worth as many tries as it takes!!
I've never had homemade Toblerone, far less gluten free homemade Toblerone. Need to give this a try. Thanks for sharing!
Stopping by from #recipeoftheweek 🙂
Thanks Giselle. The Brownie is pretty delicious!